What Can Disqualify You on a Background Check?

When an employer asks you to undergo a background check, they want to check whether you have a criminal record.

15:25 13 June 2021

While also checking your credit and employment history, and your credentials. In this article, we will discuss the factors that can lead an employer to reject a job candidate after conducting a background check.

 

Criminal History

 

The presence of a criminal record can lead to disqualification, but there’s no guarantee it will. During your interview, you should be honest about what happened in the past. If the crime was minor or unrelated to the job you’re applying for, you might still get the job. A misdemeanor or an incident that happened a long time ago might be ignored. However, having a history of committing a crime that was related to the tasks you expect to have at your new job will not be in your favor. Companies are committed to keeping their premises and staff safe and secure. If you’re applying for a job with high security clearance, even a minor crime will disqualify you on the background check.

 

Employment Gaps

 

Employment gaps and a series of short-lived job stints will not impress a recruiter. Moreover, having frequent gaps speak of a behavioral pattern. People applying for entry-level jobs don’t need to worry about having too many seasonal jobs. Moreover, having a history of completing internships and training might even be perceived as a plus.

 

Inconsistencies in Documents

 

When you apply for a job, you should be transparent with your employer and make an effort to confirm all the details on your resume, since they will be checked. A mismatch on employment dates will make a bad impression. In addition, you should avoid lying about your education, skills, or other qualifications. It doesn’t matter how good they look or how well you wrote the resume. A background check can verify any certificates or degrees you have earned.

 

Any people you list as references will be contacted by your prospective employer. We have included more information about references below. Suffice it to say for now that your prospective employer will ask your references to confirm that you worked for them when your resume says you did. They might also ask why the employment relationship ended.

 

Bad Credit

 

Does having bad credit work against you at a job interview? The answer is “yes” if your job will involve having access to funds. Otherwise, it may not affect your chances of getting the job. Only jobs in finance and jobs for the federal government make credit checks mandatory. While any employer can decide to run a credit check, most of them do not consider the results to be a deciding factor. Similar to criminal history, honesty is the best policy when it comes to bad credit. Don’t be afraid to talk about your credit history openly if asked.

 

Bad References

 

When applying for a new job, we’re asked to provide references as a way for the potential employer to find out more about our personality, work ethic, and suitability for the job. Don’t worry about having a single bad reference – the only way you could be disqualified is if all of them are bad. Your previous employers will probably only be asked to confirm your employment term and job title. Moreover, your potential employer might ask what salary you received. However, your employer is not obligated to respond to this question. Generally, this information should not be provided.

 

No Working Permit

 

If you don’t have US citizenship or a green card, you will need a work permit. During the recruitment process, all candidates must complete the I-9 form.

 

Final Words of Advice

 

If you don’t have the perfect background check results, you should be prepared to openly discuss any issues. In fact, being open and clear will help to foster trust between you and your potential employer. It is also important to come to your interview prepared. Specifically, one good way to prepare is by doing a background check on yourself before applying for any job. This way, you’ll see what your prospective employer finds out when they check you. Hiring a professional service is highly recommended, but if that’s not possible, you can do a self-check through Google or a social media search. Accordingly, you should remove any negative information that comes up.